Ever since Konami first unveiled Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation back in 1997, Nintendo fans have hoped that the series would land on their system. Now, over 5 years after the initial release of Metal Gear Solid, GameCube owners are finally getting a Nintendo friendly Metal Gear courtesy of Konami and Silicon Knights. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is a remake of Solid Snake's arguably greatest moment; the Shadow Moses incident.

media

impressions

The most obvious improvements to this new Metal Gear Solid lie in the visuals. Twin Snakes features fully redone graphics that take advantage of the more powerful GameCube hardware. Solid Snake is now high-polygon and features crisp facial textures that give depth to his character. His bandana even sways as you walk adding to the super-polished feel. The screenshots and video clips released by Konami offer a glimpse into the game's immersive atmosphere. The cut-scenes have also been completely redone and there are now 50% more of them. The production values are definitely what you would expect from Kojima and company.

The gameplay also takes a big step as players can now utilize all the moves from the game sequel, Sons of Liberty. Snake is now capable of shooting down enemies in first-person view. This takes away the frustration of third-person aiming that was found in the original Metal Gear Solid. In addition to this, Snake can knock out and drag enemies, hide in the newly placed lockers, and hang from ledges in order to hide from enemies.

The game reportedly even contains a few Easter-eggs; some from the original Metal Gear Solid and some brand new treats.

Nathan's E3 2003 Impressions

Conducting stealth ops, Solid Snake must avoid and snipe his enemies in the same manner as found on the PlayStation MGS titles. The game shown at E3 already looked like it lacked a lot of the graininess of the PlayStation, yet it still had jaggies out the wazoo. It’s very bloody, requires very deliberate movements, and should be a favorite among older 'Cube owners upon its release.

word on the street

This game has to live up to some pretty high expectations, and as far as we can tell, it looks like it will do the original game justice. Those who have played Twin Snakes decribe it as a total immersion of atmosphere and gameplay. Silicon Knights brings some very talented people to the table, and with renowned game designer Hideo Kojima at helm, expect nothing but gold.

press release notes

A reinvented Metal Gear Solidgame directed by Hideo Kojima

Stunning next generation graphicswith all-new breathtaking cutscenes

Awesome new gameplay, includinghanging from ledges, somersaults,and first person mode

Acclaimed cinematic storyline

overall

This game ranks high up on many gamers “most wanted” lists for good reason. Anyone who liked the original Metal Gear Solid will likely find Twin Snakes to be even more enjoyable. Featuring redone graphics, new cutscenes, and improved gameplay, this game is definitely looking like it will satisfy Stealth-Espionage-Action fans when it is released on March 9, 2004.